'1000 Hours of Staring' is the alias under which Mike Ramsey and occasional collaborator Mike Bigel record music. Here is an EP of elegant instrumental music, crafted from guitars and farfisa organ, field recordings and layer upon layer of dense sound, sound that is alive with energy and purpose.

Now I'm not much of one for over-complicated genre naming, honestly, but I can't help but file this one in my mind under psychedelic post rock folk. Phew. It is at times gritty and raw, and other times drifts over the listener as if void of any cares or concerns. That the sounds were recorded using a video camera is perhaps a fitting tribute to an EP that sounds so personal, a lo-fidelity gem if ever there was one.

*Front cover painting by Alanna Gladstone, back cover by Mike Ramsey, a children's toy and a bathtub.

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